Ian Cowie (right) and his brother Duncan at The Oberoi Grand during the trip commemorating their grandfather’s visit 100 years ago. Picture by Sayantan Ghosh

Ian Cowie is a half-English, half-Scottish gent who loves to hold a naan in one hand, dunk the other in a bowl of spicy curry and go “Mmmmm…” like a roving gastronome would do on a travel show.

Nothing unusual about a Briton loving his rogan josh, except that curry is a culinary obsession for Ian matched only by his desire to travel the world and eat.

“Scottish Curry Lover of the Year 2008” is a crown the Edinburgh resident, pushing 60 and nicknamed Mr Snax, wears proudly.

Ian was in Calcutta 10 days ago, though not just for the curry. As he walked into the Oberoi Grand on December 7 along with brother Duncan, it was the culmination of a long, personal journey to commemorate the centenary of their grandfather’s stay in this city during World War I.

The story of how Ian got there is, of course, much like his favourite lamb curry recipe: deliciously spicy.

A former BBC soundman, Ian’s been “living in and out of curries” ever since he took a break to go around Europe and made friends with butchers, bakers, chefs and curry makers. In 2008, he was crowned Scottish Curry Lover of the Year after he impressed the judges with his “genuine expressions of love for curry”.

“Tender, succulent and aromatic… heaven is well!” Ian remembers exclaiming at an Indian restaurant in Glasgow after tasting a spoonful of his “favourite lamb on bones” curry.

The restaurant owner became emotional too. “He’s so serious about his curries that if he can’t come to us, we will go to him!”

That very year, Ian made another discovery that would bring him to Calcutta six years later.

“The trip was initiated in 2008 when I discovered my grandfather's diary with an account of his journey with the Force Borders regiment from Southampton to Bombay in 1914. I got it from my aunt and it featured a lot of his military career. This diary included his journey on the SS Deseado from Bombay to Calcutta and travelling to Piparia in Madhya Pradesh to a rifle range for musket practice. But what really enticed me was an entry on December 7, when he along with another sergeant travelled around Calcutta on a horse, went to visit the YMCA and then walked into the Grand Hotel to have tea or coffee. I knew right then where I was going to be on December 7, 2014.”

Ian’s grandfather, Sergeant Richard Langley, had spent time in Calcutta as a member of the 1/4 Border Regiment (battalion from Cumberland and Westmoreland) that served in India during World War I.

Sgt Langley quickly “developed a taste for curries”, a trait he would carry back home and pass on as gastronomic genes to future generations.

“My grandfather would always ask my grandmother to put some curry powder in the mince and my mother always kept a tin of curry powder in the kitchen. Curry is what I have been weaned on, almost like mother’s milk. I get withdrawal symptoms if I haven’t had curry in a while,” Ian chuckled.

For the India trip, Ian extensively researched the SS Deseado’s travels, including diary entries by battalion members. “Through these diary entries, I got a fuller picture and detailed account of what they did during their garrison duty in Burma, of which my grandfather was a part,” said Ian.

He and his brother decided to enter Calcutta the same day — December 7 — that their grandfather had arrived in the city. “We came from Mumbai to Calcutta by train, travelling for 33 hours. We walked into the Grand train-lagged to commemorate our grandfather walking into the hotel on the same day 100 years ago,” Ian said.

A day later, the brothers left by train to Piparia for the second leg of their commemorative trip.

If Ian and Duncan found their train travels through the countryside “unbelievable”, Calcutta was like visiting an old friend.

“I am an adopted brother of the Bengali community in Edinburgh and Glasgow because I often help video-filming, presenting and opening restaurants for them,” said Ian, who on returning from Madhya Pradesh did a round of Calcutta by cab.

He visited the flower market at Mullickghat, Kumartuli and Mother House, among other destinations. “Our taxi driver pointed out all the buildings that were British-made,” Ian chuckled.

What startled the Cowie brothers was the existence of a street called Cowie Lane. “I would love to know the origin of that street!” Ian said.

While Mr Snax has carried back to Scotland packets of garam masala and other spices to put in his curries, his little parting gift is something George Kuruvilla, general manager of The Oberoi Grand, describes as a treasure.

It’s a little plaque with a collage of pictures along with a page from Sgt Langley’s diary.

“To be gifted an experience such as this is special....1914 was a time of great ballets, weddings and social gatherings in the evenings; so when they connected with us, this was the fastest reservation we ever confirmed,” Kuruvilla said.